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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27642230">A Short Ride</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/raths_kitten/pseuds/raths_kitten'>raths_kitten</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coda, Episode Fix-it, M/M, Post-Episode: s15e20 Carry On, episode 15x20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:16:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,530</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27642230</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/raths_kitten/pseuds/raths_kitten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Time passes differently in Heaven.</p><p>Coda to 15x20, it picks up right after the finale to hopefully fix things a little.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>76</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Short Ride</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I had a whole different kind of coda in mind before watching 15x20, but rather than writing that and starting with "and 15x20 never happened", I think I found a way to roll with it. Hopefully this fixes things for those of you also grieving.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean smiles as he slides behind the wheel of his beloved Baby, content. He‘s happy she‘s here with him because when he leaves Bobby, he needs a little time to process. His big plan is for naught now. He doesn‘t have to tear Heaven apart to find a way to get to Cas. - Cas is already here.</p><p>That explains why all his leads had run dry. Every demon, every creature, every reaper he‘d summoned or caught had either just laughed at him or told him they couldn‘t help because Cas wasn‘t in The Empty anymore. Of course he hadn‘t believed them, because if he wasn‘t, then where was he? Why hadn‘t he come back?</p><p>But that was all over now. He has made it to Heaven. The reaper who‘d come for him this time had been kind, smiling even, as he promised he‘d bring him to Castiel. Dean had been wary, of course, but last ditch effort and all. He didn‘t even have to resort to killing himself. But still. A stupid nail barn.</p><p>Doesn‘t matter now. Heaven. If he was honest with himself, he‘d been half convinced he‘d see Rowena instead of Bobby once he‘d made it through the light, but Jack was in charge now. Jack and Amara. And she really did look out for him.</p><p>He doesn‘t know yet what he‘ll do once he finds Cas. He‘s been so focused on getting him out, he hasn‘t really let himself go further than having him back. And hugging him. But then what?</p><p>He hopes Sam takes good care of Miracle. She was a good dog. Without her he probably wouldn‘t have made it as long, wouldn‘t have been able to pretend he was fine for as long as he had to not worry Sam too much. Eileen was back. Sam was happy. He‘d be happy now, too and live a long life.</p><p>Dean reaches a bridge and stops to take in the scenery. It‘s beautiful. “Cas?” He whispers, wanting to share this moment with him. But he turns around and suddenly Sam is here.</p><p>He‘s surprised and mildly disappointed, but hey. Heaven is different now. It‘s a good place. He can feel it.</p><p>He gives Sam some time to process, just joining him silently because he knows Sam needs time to deal. He‘s probably also half expected to end up in the other direction, Lucifer‘s vessel, demon blood junkie and all that. Dean knows Sam belongs up here even more so than Dean does, but that doesn‘t mean Sam believes it.</p><p>“Didn‘t take you long, huh?” He quips, when ample time has passed. “What was it? Fell off a ladder changing a lightbulb?”</p><p>“What?” Sam turns and frowns at him. “Dean, it‘s been fourty years.”</p><p>“What?” Dean stares, looks him up and down and gestures. “And Heaven gave you a beauty upgrade?” It doesn‘t make sense. Bobby was still old and grumpy. Then again. This was Dean‘s Heaven…</p><p>His suspicions are confirmed when Sam squints. “Gee, thanks. But my grey hair and wrinkles beg to differ.” Dean squints and thinks very hard about how much he wants to see Sam, the real Sam, and his image starts to shimmer before his eyes and he ages rapidly.</p><p>Dean‘s mouth falls open and a tear threatens to escape. Sammy‘s made it. He really died of old age. “Thank you,” he says.</p><p>“What for?” Sam frowns.</p><p>“Moving on.” Dean smiles serenely. This was all he wanted for his brother.</p><p>Sam tells him about his life now, how he‘s married Eileen shortly after Dean‘s wake. He asks if Dean had been able to see it, is disappointed that he hadn‘t. Apparently a lot of hunters showed up at Jody‘s place, sharing their stories. It lasted two whole days and the laughter and drunken shenanigans had helped Sam a lot. As did Eileen.</p><p>Dean is taken aback when Sam proudly talks about his son. Dean. How he‘d raised a new generation of hunters, helping his son and his friends in any capacity he could. Bobby will love to hear this, Dean‘s sure. But still. “You cursed a whole new Dean Winchester with this life though, Sammy?” Dean can‘t help but ask.</p><p>Sam is offended. “He was the son of two hunters. Did you want me to leave him defenseless? Besides, we encouraged him to explore his options. He chose this. To honor…“ Sam bites off and Dean knows he meant to say ‘you’. It‘s too early for this. They‘ll talk about this later. Maybe when this new Dean joins them.</p><p>They turn and Eileen is there with open arms. Sam smiles at Dean and runs, reuniting with her. They blink out of existence, but Dean has no doubt that they‘ll be back again sooner rather than later.</p><p><i>Sooner.</i> It suddenly hits him. “Fourty years?” he yells. “Fourty fucking years, Cas? I only just got behind the wheel, man.”</p><p>And Castiel finally shows up, looking stricken. “I thought you didn‘t want to be without your brother for too long. Time passes differently here and…”</p><p>Dean almost chokes on the sob that escapes him and then he‘s embracing Cas so hard that it hurts. “You asshole. You stupid asshole,” he mutters.</p><p>“Dean, I…” Castiel hugs him back, but it turns stiff after a while. “I‘m sorry. I thought this was what you wanted?”</p><p>Dean pulls back to look him in the eyes, cups his cheeks for good measure. “You back with me is what I wanted.”</p><p>Cas says nothing, then, “Oh.” His mouth falls open and he tries to process. Dean smiles. Still so clueless. A true Winchester in spirit. Not believing he was worthy, too. Always focused on the rest of them.</p><p>And maybe it was selfish, but during his short time here - and it was short for him, thank you very much - Dean has started to accept it. He deserves to be here. Bobby and all the other hunters deserve to be here. Castiel deserves to be here. With him. In his Heaven. Forever.</p><p>“Thanks for saving me, Cas,” he says.</p><p>Cas nods. “Sorry you only lived a few more months.” His mouth is a thin line and he honestly looks regretful.</p><p>“I‘m not.” Dean shrugs. “Wasn‘t worth it without…” The words get stuck in his throat and he closes his eyes, swallows. He can do this. He can. “Without you.”</p><p>Castiel‘s lips twitch upwards briefly. “Surely I wasn’t that important,” he says, looking down.</p><p>“Cas.” Dean‘s voice is sharp. “Look at me,” he commands. Castiel‘s eyes snap up. “You were. You <i>are</i>. You are… the best thing that‘s ever happened to me. You…” He swallows again and would like to avert his gaze himself now, but he can‘t. He needs Cas to believe him. “You‘ve changed me, too. I didn‘t fully realize it until you were just gone. Again. But this time you left me with hope.“ Dean reaches one hand down, clasps Cas‘s hand. “I thought you were this ethereal being and I could never… could never have you in the way that I wanted.“</p><p>Cas gasps. “Dean…”</p><p>“But turns out I could?“ Dean tries and now the tears are falling for real. He sees Castiel‘s face crumble, too. “Turns out we both could have had it. All this time. God dammit, Cas.“ Dean looks upwards, shakes his head. “How could we both be so goddamn stupid?“</p><p>Castiel looks chagrined. “That‘s what Amara told me, after they pulled me out of The Empty. But I didn‘t want to believe her.“</p><p>Dean thinks he can hear her laugh over the wind whipping all around them, standing here, unprotected, on this bridge. He starts to shiver suddenly. Is this really happening? It feels too soon, still. But… fifty fucking years apparently passed elsewhere and god dammit, he will not waste another second.</p><p>He strokes Castiel‘s cheek, hoping the gesture is reassuring. But his fingers are trembling and they‘re both still silently crying. “I love you,“ Dean says, no hesitation, no more build up needed. He can see Cas‘s expression fully break and he‘s openly sobbing again, but happily so. He flashes back to that cursed night in the bunker, when Billie came for them. He couldn‘t react then. But he sure can now.</p><p>Dean closes the space between them with a tender kiss. It tastes salty but he doesn’t break it. Castiel reciprocates with a whine and the kiss deepens, both of them pouring everything into it. Dean‘s whole body tingles. He‘s never. Never. Been kissed like that. He has to close his eyes or fly apart. He‘s clutching Castiel as tight as he can, trying to tether himself, but he still feels like flying.</p><p>When the temperature changes, he realizes they‘re not on the bridge anymore. They‘re back in the bunker, in Dean‘s room. Two nightstands surrounding his bed. And he smiles. “Did you…?“ He asks when they finally break apart.</p><p>“No,” Castiel shrugs. “Maybe? Things work differently here. You‘ll get used to it.“</p><p>Dean shrugs as well, accepting it. Whatever. His Heaven, his rules. </p><p>And he can‘t deny that having a bed to push Castiel on before undressing him is a lot better than relocating to Baby on a cold bridge.</p>
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